elseq 1–5 is the twelfth studio album by British electronic music duo Autechre, released by Warp Records on 19 May 2016.[1][2][3] The album consists of five segments, each roughly 50 minutes in length. All five were made available for individual or group purchase as a digital download only, making it Autechre's first album without a physical release.[4]
| elseq 1–5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 19 May 2016 | |||
| Length | 247:38 | |||
| Label | Warp WARP512 | |||
| Producer | Autechre | |||
| Autechre chronology | ||||
| ||||
Composition and production
editAs with their previous album Exai,[5] the album was composed using custom-made Max/MSP software patches.[6] In an interview with Resident Advisor, Brown explained that he and Booth had been working on tracks by sending them back and forth to each other for "quite a bit", and was not sure whether the project existed as a single album or a collection of albums or EPs.[5]
Release
editThe first track on the album, "feed1", was given a preview broadcast by BBC Radio 6 on 13 May 2016.[7][8] A second track, "c16 deep tread", was played on Alaskan student radio station KSUA on 18 May 2016, the track being later released for streaming on Warp Records' SoundCloud page.[9] The album was released for purchase on the duo's webstore the following day. The album consists of five distinct parts, each with its own album and individual track artwork designed by The Designers Republic.[10] Warp Records stated that there are no plans to release the album on a physical medium, making the album Autechre's first digital-only studio album release.[4]
Reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100[11] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [12] |
| Resident Advisor | 4.1/5[13] |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.8/5[14] |
| Pitchfork[15] | 7.0/10 (elseq 1) 6.6/10 (elseq 2) 6.9/10 (elseq 3) 7.1/10 (elseq 4) 6.8/10 (elseq 5) |
| Uncut | [16] |
The album received generally favorable reviews from critics. Pitchfork rated volumes 1–5 of the album individually, with scores of 7.0, 6.6, 6.9, 7.1, and 6.8 on a ten-point scale, calling the album "an advancement of the duo's recent live sets, offering a similar ratio of rhythm to noise and order to chaos, but a richer palette of sounds."[15] Resident Advisor called it "among the most uncompromising, impressive and enjoyable collections released by Rob Brown and Sean Booth."[17] In a mostly positive review, AllMusic noted the length and experimental nature of the material, concluding that "those new to Autechre might be best off starting with their earlier material, and working their way up to this gradually."[18]
Accolades
edit| Publication | Accolade | Year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitchfork | The 20 Best Electronic Albums of 2016 | 2016 |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "feed1" | 11:37 |
| 2. | "c16 deep tread" | 12:31 |
| 3. | "13x0 step" | 8:57 |
| 4. | "pendulu hv moda" | 12:15 |
| 5. | "curvcaten" | 6:59 |
| Total length: | 52:19 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "elyc6 0nset" | 27:09 |
| 2. | "chimer 1-5-1" | 5:03 |
| 3. | "c7b2" | 13:22 |
| Total length: | 45:34 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "eastre" | 22:15 |
| 2. | "TBM2" | 6:44 |
| 3. | "mesh cinereaL" | 24:28 |
| Total length: | 53:27 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "acdwn2" | 11:52 |
| 2. | "foldfree casual" | 9:49 |
| 3. | "latentcall" | 14:31 |
| 4. | "artov chain" | 4:04 |
| 5. | "7th slip" | 6:36 |
| Total length: | 46:52 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "pendulu casual" | 9:01 |
| 2. | "spTh" | 8:21 |
| 3. | "spaces how V" | 9:57 |
| 4. | "freulaeux" | 11:06 |
| 5. | "oneum" | 11:01 |
| Total length: | 49:26 | |
References
edit- ^ "elseq 1-5". WARP. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Autechre release five-part album, Elseq 1-5". Fact Magazine. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
- ^ "Autechre • 'elseq 1-5'. New music available now on @AE_STORE_". Warp Records. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ a b "There are no plans to release 'elseq 1-5' on physical formats". Warp Records. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ a b "The Quietus | Features | A Quietus Interview | Anatomy Of An Engima: An Interview With Autechre". The Quietus. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "Autechre: elseq et al · Feature ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "Autechre. 9PM BBC 6 Music". Warp Records. 13 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
- ^ "Autechre Release New Single "feed1"". Hypetrak. 15 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
- ^ "Autechre announce mysterious Alaskan radio appearance". Fact Magazine. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ "Autechre Release Massive Five Part New Project". Pitchfork Media. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
- ^ "Metacritic score". Metacritic.
- ^ "Allmusic review". AllMusic.
- ^ "RA review".
- ^ "Sputnikmusic review".
- ^ a b Leitko, Aaron (28 May 2016). "Autechre elseq Review". Pitchfork Magazine. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
- ^ There's plenty of uncommon beauty in these four hours of stalagmite electronica. [Sep 2016, p.69]
- ^ "Autechre - elseq 1-5 · Album Review ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ Elseq 1-5 - Autechre | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 10 November 2021
- ^ "The 20 Best Electronic Albums of 2016". Pitchfork. 7 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
External links
edit- elseq 1–5 on Autechre Store